Yeh Hai Aashiqui

One

The sterile scent of the clinic hung in the air, a mixture of disinfectant and cold steel. Ishaani sat in the waiting room, her fingers clenching the edge of her purse, the leather biting into her palm. The clock on the wall ticked loudly in her ears, each second dragging her deeper into the pit of dread. Her heart raced as the nurse finally called her name, and she felt as though her feet were heavier as she walked into the doctor's office.

Dr. Sneha greeted her with a professional smile, but Ishaani could see it in her eyes, something was off. The file in the doctor's hands, her pregnancy report, felt like a death sentence.

"Ishaani," Dr. Sneha's voice was soft, but the words sliced through the air like a blade. "Your test results... they're positive. You're pregnant."

For a moment, the world went silent. The sounds of the clinic—the rustling papers, the distant coughs—vanished, leaving only the pounding of Ishaani's heart in her ears. Her throat tightened as if a fist had wrapped around it, making it impossible to breathe.

"No... that can't be," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her hands trembled as she reached for the report, staring at the printed words that blurred before her eyes.

Pregnant.

The word flashed like a neon sign, burning into her mind.

The room began to spin, and suddenly she was no longer in the doctor's office.

She was back to that night.

That night, walking home from the office party. The cool evening air had brushed against her skin as she'd made her way down the dimly lit street. She had felt safe, but that security had shattered in an instant. His hands, rough and cruel, had grabbed her. The memory flooded her senses, the suffocating smell of his sweat, the sound of his laughter in her ear, the paralyzing terror that had locked her muscles as she fought to breathe, to scream.

Ishaani blinked, trying to shake the memory loose, but it clung to her like a nightmare, refusing to let go. Her vision blurred with tears as the doctor's voice brought her back to the present.

"I know this is overwhelming, Ishaani," Dr. Sneha said gently, "but I'm here to support you. You have options."

Options? What options did she have? Her mind raced, her thoughts spiraling out of control.

The doctor had given her those pills after the assault, the ones that were supposed to prevent this. Why didn't they work? How could this be happening? Her body, her life, once again, they weren't hers to control.

"I took the pills... the ones you gave me," Ishaani's voice cracked, as if saying the words out loud would undo the reality she was now facing. "They were supposed to stop this."

The doctor nodded, sympathy etched on her face. "Unfortunately, no method is 100 per cent effective. There are cases, rare cases, where they don't work."

Ishaani's chest tightened, and she felt the weight of it crushing her, pressing her down until she could barely sit upright. The walls seemed to close in around her. Her pulse roared in her ears, and a cold sweat broke out along her forehead.

Pregnant.

The word echoed, louder this time, flooding her mind like a tidal wave. She couldn't be pregnant. She couldn't bring a child into the world like this, not a child born from violence, from that moment of terror and helplessness. How could she carry the reminder of that night inside her?

Her hands instinctively went to her stomach, but the touch only sent a fresh wave of nausea rolling through her.

This can't be happening.